A7FL

What A7FL does

A7FL (American 7s Football League, A7FL Inc) is a private U.S. sports league founded in 2014 and headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, that operates a 7-on-7 full-contact tackle football format without helmets or hard-shell pads. The league positions the format as a safer alternative to traditional American football by eliminating helmet-to-helmet impacts and pairing play with biometric monitoring through i1 Biometrics Vector MouthGuards (in partnership with NJIT for TBI/CTE research) and NoLimit athletic shorts that stream real-time speed, jump, stamina, and workload data into live Game of the Week broadcasts. As of Season 12 (March-June 2026), the league fields 11-16 teams across 10 U.S. cities with 600+ athletes, reaching an 875,000+ social media following skewed to the 18-34 demographic.

A7FL's business model combines B2B media rights (exclusive global streaming via DAZN; distribution through FOX Soul, Stadium, TrillerTV, FITE, Atmosphere TV, Lights Out Sports, Twitch, HBCU+, Urban Edge Network, and Creator Sports Network), sponsorship sales (NoLimit, Kinetic Relief, Chaos Gladiator Fitness, Tapemeup, Hersh Kirtman Injury Law) brokered in part through OpenSponsorship, B2B franchise/division ownership rights (Nevada, Cincinnati, DC divisions, with sub-licensing for up to 4 teams per division and a national revenue share), a long tail of athlete registration fees with new NIL Creator Tools enabling athletes to sell personal sponsor banners and team-driven deals, and direct-to-consumer merchandise at a7flshop.com. The league does not publicly disclose revenue. Ownership is founder-led by CEO Sener Korkusuz and President Ryan DePaul, with UFC Co-Founder David Isaacs serving as Advisory Chairman since 2019.

Name

A7FL

Legal name

A7FL Inc

Website

https://a7fl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

A7FL operates a 7-on-7 full-contact tackle football league without helmets or pads, serving adult athletes across 10 U.S. cities and broadcasting via DAZN and other streaming partners, with revenue from media rights, sponsorships, franchise sales, athlete fees, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports League

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

American Football Leagues (MPAKAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

League/Team-Owned Digital Broadcast Networks (MPAKAOAC), Sports OTT Aggregators & Bundling Services (MPAKAOAB), NIL Representation & Compliance Services (Student-Athletes) (MPAKAMAE), Sports OTT & League Pass Streaming Channels (MPABAHAJ)

Keywords

• No-helmet tackle football
• 7v7 football league
• Sports broadcasting rights
• Athlete NIL programs
• Sports franchise licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Boca Raton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Broadcasting and Media Rights: A7FL earns revenue from broadcasting deals with platforms including DAZN, FOX Soul, Stadium, TrillerTV, FITE, and Atmosphere TV. Streaming of games and content across these platforms generates viewership and platform revenue shares.
2. Sponsorship and Advertising: The league sells league-level and team-level sponsorship assets. Official sponsors include NoLimit, Kinetic Relief, Chaos Gladiator Fitness, Tapemeup, and Hersh Kirtman Injury Law. The OpenSponsorship platform is used to sell sponsorship assets. Snoop Dogg has shared viral highlights, extending visibility.
3. Team and Division Ownership Franchises: A7FL sells team and division ownership rights. Division owners can sub-license up to 4 teams in exclusive territories, retaining all local revenues including athlete registrations, sponsorship, merchandise, ticket sales, concessions, and local media. They participate in the national revenue share program.
4. Athlete Registration Fees and NIL Revenue: Athletes pay a registration fee to play. In 2026, the league introduced NIL creator tools enabling athletes to sell personal sponsor banner placements on their A7FL profile pages and participate in team-driven commercial deals. Athletes can recoup registration costs and earn additional income through sponsorships facilitated by the league platform.
5. Merchandise Sales: A7FL operates an official fan gear store at a7flshop.com selling league merchandise, fan gear, and official equipment including the white football used in games.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

A7FL operates a professional 7-on-7 full-contact tackle football league played without helmets or pads, organizing a spring season (March–June) with 11–16 teams across multiple U.S. cities. The league sells broadcast rights to streaming partners (DAZN, FOX Soul, Stadium, TrillerTV, FITE, Atmosphere TV), franchise and division ownership rights to local operators, league- and team-level sponsorship assets, official merchandise via a7flshop.com, and individual athlete registrations with NIL monetization tools.

Product overview

The American 7s Football League (A7FL) is a professional sports entertainment property that operates as a 7-on-7 tackle football league played without helmets or pads, entering its 12th season in 2026. The league's core product portfolio centers on its official website (A7FL.com) and streaming platform (A7FL.TV) for content distribution, complemented by the A7FL Fantasy platform for fan engagement. The league distributes content through global streaming partnerships with DAZN and multiple other platforms including FOX Soul, Stadium, TrillerTV, FITE, Twitch, and YouTube. Technology partnerships with NoLimit enable real-time biometric data integration into broadcasts, while NIL Creator Tools provide athletes with monetization opportunities through personal sponsor profiles and team-driven commercial deals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• A7FL League Season (7-on-7 no-helmet, no-pads tackle football) Annual professional spring season of 7-on-7 full-contact tackle football played without helmets or hard-shell pads, contested by 11–16 teams across 10 U.S. cities (March–June 2026 in Season 12), with Eastern and Western conferences, playoffs, and a National Championship. Aimed at adult athletes aged 18 and older who sign injury waivers.
• A7FL.TV Streaming Platform Official A7FL streaming destination offering live game broadcasts, on-demand highlights, full game replays, and athlete NIL sponsor banner placements. Integrates with third-party streaming platforms including DAZN, TrillerTV, FITE, and Stadium.
• A7FL Fantasy Free-to-play fantasy football platform at a7flfantasy.com that lets fans engage with A7FL through fantasy statistics, gameplay, and awards voting (MVP, Offensive/Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year).
• A7FL Official Merchandise (a7flshop.com) Official league merchandise store selling A7FL fan gear, apparel, and the white football used in games.
• A7FL Team and Division Ownership Franchise B2B franchise offering: A7FL sells team and division ownership rights in exclusive U.S. territories (accepting applicants for 2027/2028 season). Division owners may sub-license up to 4 teams, retain all local revenue (athlete registrations, sponsorship, merchandise, tickets, concessions, local media), and participate in the national revenue share program.
• A7FL Player Registration with NIL Creator Tools Individual athlete registration into the A7FL season, combined with NIL creator tools that allow players to add personal sponsor banners and links to their A7FL.com profile pages, run 'Sponsor Me' campaigns, and participate in team-driven commercial deals so they can recoup registration costs and earn sponsorship income.
• A7FL Sponsorship Assets (League- and Team-Level) B2B sponsorship inventory sold at the league level (e.g., NoLimit, Kinetic Relief, Chaos Gladiator Fitness, Tapemeup, Hersh Kirtman Injury Law) and at the team level, distributed both direct and via the OpenSponsorship platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Elimination of helmet-to-helmet impacts and drastic reduction of repetitive non-concussive head hits through no-helmet playing format
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• DAZNcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 March 2026DAZN secured a global partnership to become the exclusive streaming home of the American 7s Football League (A7FL), broadcasting one featured game per week free to its users, live and on demand, throughout the 2026 season. Coverage began in March 2026, providing A7FL with international exposure through DAZN's global audience.
• Creator Sports Network (CSN)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 March 2026A7FL and CSN team up to deliver creator-powered live streams of the 2026 season, leveraging CSN's creator network to produce and distribute engaging live content across platforms.
• NoLimit (Sadri Dridi and Fernando Silva)coreTechnology or Integration · 17 February 2026A7FL partnered with NoLimit, a sports tech company founded by Sadri Dridi and Fernando Silva, to integrate real-time athlete biometric data — including player speed, jump height, stamina, and workload output — into A7FL Game of the Week live broadcasts. This is described as a first for live sports broadcasting, designed to enhance fan engagement through real-time on-screen data and athlete performance optimization.
• Atmosphere TVsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 27 January 2026A7FL partnered with Atmosphere TV to bring American 7s Football highlights to 150 million+ monthly viewers worldwide, significantly expanding the league's reach through Atmosphere's connected TV and streaming platform network.
• Chaos Gladiator FitnesssupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2025A three-year partnership providing A7FL athletes and fans access to Chaos Gladiator's training programs, nutrition, and supplements. Includes fan contests and athlete recognition programs. This partnership supports athlete training and community engagement.
• FOX SoulsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBroadcast partner streaming A7FL games and content on FOX Soul platform.
• StadiumsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBroadcast partner distributing A7FL live games and content on the Stadium sports network.
• TrillerTVsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStreaming partner distributing A7FL live games and on-demand content on TrillerTV platform.
• FITEsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStreaming partner distributing A7FL content on the FITE platform.
• Lights Out SportsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStreaming partner broadcasting A7FL games, associated with former NFL player Shawne Merriman.
• i1 BiometricssupportingTechnology or IntegrationAgreement signed in 2016 for A7FL athletes to wear i1 Biometrics Vector MouthGuards with ESP Chip technology, measuring linear and rotational accelerations of head impacts. Connected to the Impact Intelligence System for real-time data. The partnership supports A7FL's safety research mission and TBI/CTE studies.
• New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerA7FL partnered with NJIT (specifically Dr. Bryan Pfister, Traumatic Brain Injury Specialist) to monitor the i1 Biometrics Impact Intelligence System data, studying TBI and CTE as related to the concussion crisis in American football. Students from NJIT analyze real-time impact data from A7FL games to generate empirical evidence that removing helmets and pads reduces concussions and brain injuries.
• Kinetic ReliefsupportingOthersKinetic Relief is the official CBD sports cream of the American 7s Football League, providing recovery products to A7FL athletes.
• TapemeupsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial A7FL sponsor providing tape and athletic support products. Listed among the league's official sponsors.
• Hersh Kirtman Injury LawminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPersonal injury law firm based in Boca Raton, FL, listed as an official sponsor of the A7FL.
• HBCU+ and Urban Edge NetworkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBroadcast partners distributing American 7s Football League spring football games to their respective audiences, expanding reach to HBCU and urban sports communities.
• OpenSponsorshipsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership announced in 2019 for the sale of A7FL league sponsorship assets through the OpenSponsorship platform, facilitating sponsor-league connections.
• Arena Football League (AFL)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroundbreaking partnership announced between the Arena Football League (AFL) and American 7s Football League (A7FL) in January 2024, described as a strategic alliance between the two football leagues.
• Beach Football League (BFL)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerA7FL and Beach Football League announced a groundbreaking no-pads, no-helmets football showdown in Santa Monica in January 2026. BFL founder Tully Banta-Cain (former Patriots linebacker, two-time Super Bowl champion) cited plans to partner with leagues like A7FL and Run It League while targeting Olympic inclusion alongside flag football.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• XFL (now UFL): The XFL (now merged with USFL into the United Football League) is a spring professional football league targeting similar post-college/fan audiences. Both leagues compete for the same offseason football viewership and sponsorship dollars, making them the most direct competitor to A7FL's audience and franchise economics.
• Arena Football League (AFL): The AFL is a long-running indoor American football league with a strategic partnership with A7FL announced in January 2024. Both leagues target football fans seeking fast-paced, action-oriented football outside the NFL season, and they share the same core customer base and franchise-style ownership model.
• Fan Controlled Football (FCF): Fan Controlled Football is an indoor 7-on-7 alternative football league that similarly targets younger audiences and emphasizes fan engagement through technology. Both A7FL and FCF compete in the alternative-football, tech-enabled broadcast, and Gen Z demographic space.
• The Spring League: The Spring League was a developmental professional football league operating in the spring window. It competed directly with A7FL for post-college athletes seeking pro opportunities and shared similar infrastructure-light, alternative-football positioning.
• Beach Football League (BFL): BFL is a no-pads, no-helmets beach football league founded by former Patriots linebacker Tully Banta-Cain. BFL announced a strategic partnership with A7FL in January 2026 and shares the no-pads/no-helmets full-contact format, making it a directly comparable league pursuing similar athlete and fan segments.

Broad incumbents

• BIG3 Basketball: BIG3 is a 3-on-3 professional basketball league featuring former NBA stars with a summer schedule and ICE-format rules. It pioneered the alternative-pro-sports-league model with veteran players, creator-driven media, and tech-enabled broadcasts, sharing DNA with A7FL's positioning as a differentiated, season-friendly alternative to the major league.
• Premier Lacrosse League (PLL): PLL is a tour-based professional sports league with a similar growth playbook: tech-enabled distribution, social-media-driven audience building, and a younger demographic skew. While not football, PLL serves as a benchmark for alternative sports leagues using streaming and creator-led media to grow audience and sponsorship revenue.
• National Lacrosse League (NLL): The NLL is an established professional indoor lacrosse league with a comparable franchise ownership model and broadcast partnership approach. Both leagues operate fast-paced, non-traditional field sports with similar team/division ownership economics and streaming-first distribution strategies.
• Indoor Football League: The Indoor Football League is one of the larger established indoor American football leagues, offering a comparable spring/summer alternative-football experience. It serves the same fan demographics as A7FL but operates on a more traditional indoor-football format rather than the no-helmet 7-on-7 model.

Emerging players

• Athletes Unlimited: Athletes Unlimited operates innovative player-empowerment models across multiple sports (lacrosse, volleyball, softball, basketball) and pioneered the NIL-style athlete monetization concept that A7FL now adopts. Both leagues share a focus on athlete-driven value creation and women's/youth expansion pipelines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thea7fl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheA7FL
• Facebookfacebook.com/A7FL
• Instagraminstagram.com/a7fl
• TikToktiktok.com/@a7fl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/a7fl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about A7FL